Monday, February 29, 2016

Happy Leap Day and Welcome to March!We have a super short cooking week and a LONG traveling week! We head back out on Wednesday and hit the rails for New Orleans.Here is our menu for the week ahead and remember to head over to Laura's site for more ideas.Enjoy!StacySUNDAY: 88th Oscar Party!MONDAY: Shrimp Fried RiceTUESDAY: Garden BurgersWEDNESDAY: To Los Angeles, Union Station to Board the Sunset Limited to New OrleansTHURSDAY: Arizona, New Mexico and TexasFRIDAY: Texas and Louisiana. Arrive into New Orleans at 4PM

Thursday, February 25, 2016

I am still missing the fact that just about every meal in Mexico includes either re-fried beans or guacamole including breakfast! I can never get enough guacamole!There are dozens of ways to make guacamole, but I think simple is the best. Let the avocado be the star and your guacamole will be amazing!

Chunky Guacamole

Ingredients:

3 Hass avocados, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 plum tomato, seeded and finely diced

1/4 cup finely diced white or red onion

2 tablespoons cilantro

1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:

In a medium bowl, gently stir the diced avocado with the tomato, onion, cilantro, chile and lime juice until well blended but still chunky.Season with salt and serve with chips.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

I missed my boys and two weekends in Seattle so it was exciting to travel home last Friday night.

We had a busy Saturday and filled our bellies all day! We started out with a yummy breakfast in honor of Step-Dad, Kenny's birthday. One of the best breakfasts I've had in awhile at the Country Cupboard Cafe in Burien.Brian and I went to the movies on Saturday afternoon, to see "Spotlight". Excellent and one more to check off our Oscar 2016 list.We ended the day with a super sized pepperoni pizza at Peel and Press in West Seattle.My sweet boy Sammy was stuck to me like glue most of the weekend. He didn't want me to leave on Sunday night. I sure do miss my boys when I am gone.How was your weekend?Enjoy!Stacy

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Welcome Monday!I haven't posted a menu in a few weeks so I am super excited to share what we are having this week.One of the hardest things about going on vacation is coming home and getting back into old familiar routines. All the laundry is done and put away. The suitcases are packed away until the next adventures and we are busily making lists and menus once again.Remember to check out Laura's site for more organizing help!Enjoy!StacyMONDAY: Cashew Chicken Stir-fry with Jasmine RiceTUESDAY: Mexican Turkey BurgersWEDNESDAY: Spring Asparagus Fettuccine and SaladTHURSDAY: Grilled Polenta with Spicy Flat Iron Steak, Avocado and Queso Cheese with Leftover Salad

The 6th and 7th weeks of the year were spent in Cabo and telling you all about Cabo. It was a wonderful trip and I can't wait to go back again.Having gone through all my pictures and GoPro video, new memories keep coming to mind so I thought I would wrap them all up and share a few pictures that I have not shared before.Enjoy!Stacy

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Our final day in Mexico was extraordinary! Whenever you get the chance to be out on the water...anywhere, it's a great day.We booked the Tropicat Sunset Jazz and Wine cruise early in the week and Friday night we sailed out of the Cabo Marina.The boat toured Medano Beach, Lover's Beach and the Arch before leaving the Sea or Cortez to head down the Pacific Ocean towards the setting sun.The trip included all the wine, champagne or cocktails you wanted plus a wonderful spread of food including brie cheese with crackers, salami and crab salad. Eddie and his crew did a wonderful job making sure that we enjoyed our sail.The final sunset was the best of our trip!Enjoy!Stacy

Friday, February 19, 2016

Thursday we realized that our time left in Mexico was short. I personally realized that tequila does not agree with me and therefore, Thursday was a bit quieter than I wanted...but necessary (if you know what I mean).We managed to make a perfect decision on dinner and we decided on an amazing place, the new Quivera Steakhouse down at the new golf course just below the Sunset Beach property.It was an amazing setting and the service and food was phenomenal. Huge portions and more food than we could eat. I had the Cliff Salad with roasted beets, fresh strawberries, blueberries, dried cranberries, almonds and goat cheese and Chick had the Quivera Salad; an iceberg wedge with bacon, tomatoes, black olives, red onions and a balsamic dressing. We each had a 6 oz filet that appeared to be more like 8 oz. The mashed potatoes were a bit bland, but we really couldn't complain. The finale was a raspberry cheesecake. Do I need to say more?Our spirits and bellies were completely satisfied.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

We spent the entire Wednesday at the adult pool. It was quiet and the sun was hot. There is nothing quite like a pool day at Sunset Beach. It was the first day of our trip without a cloud in the sky! The beer was cold and the tequila...well.Enjoy!Stacy

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Tuesday, the weather improved and we spent a few hours up at the Sky Pool watching cruise ships pass by and whales and schools of fish frolicking in the Pacific Ocean.We caught up with our beautiful friend Patty Rivera and had a late lunch at Maro's Shrimp House. We chowed down on 6 butterflied grilled shrimp and two lobster tails for $16.95 and washed it all down with a Bull Dog (tequila, sprite and a Corona beer).We really enjoyed catching up with Patty and seeing her new jewelry shop D'Garo Art and Jewelry. We picked out a couple of unique treasures all handcrafted by her. It was a special treat to share an afternoon with a dear friend.Since lunch was late and we chose not to have dinner, we spent some more time at Pueblo Bonito Rose people watching and sipping on a bottle of Chardonnay then the sky treated us to the moon rising above the Pacific Ocean.Enjoy!Stacy

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

So apparently there can be clouds and an overcast sky in Mexico!? Who knew? It lasted our first few days, but we didn't let that dampen our spirit. Monday was spent enjoying a wonderful breakfast at Poncho's downtown and some retail therapy. We did a fair amount of walking, checked out the Cabo mall and the marina before finally locating a great bottle of wine at Pueblo Bonito Rose! One of our favorite adventures was sitting out at their ocean side bar listening to 80's and 90's music videos.

We finally got a decent sunset back at Sunset Beach....our first since our arrival and enjoyed a glass of wine at the lobby bar with perfect views.

We got a great dinner recommendation from a couple from Texas that told us to try Los Barriles in downtown Cabo San Lucas. It ended up being one of the best meals of our vacation. Everything was cooked table-side by restaurant manager, Antonio. Caesar Salad, Sea Bass in butter, garlic and wine and Bananas Foster with a rich caramel sauce.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Welcome to PARADISE!Easy flight, although a bit late and a huge line to get through immigration! After a full day of travel, we arrived at Pueblo Bonito Sunset.I forgot how extraordinary this place is. Magical. A warm breeze welcomed us, smelling of palm trees, cactus blossoms, honey and lemons.We took some time to get settled into our room. Luxurious with a breathtaking view (and an amazing upgrade to a suite with a hot tub).Unfortunately, it was quite overcast so no sunset....but we had arrived and we were happy!Neither one of us could wait to eat a bowl of tortilla soup. Velvety and rich along with a salad was just what we needed after a long day of traveling.We knew that "arrival" night might be an early one (we'd been up since 3 AM) so the bed felt super comfortable and we slept like babies!As the sun came up, I grabbed my camera gear and headed for the patio. It was a glorious start to the day.Super Bowl Sunday was mellow. The morning was spent at the pool and the afternoon was spent meeting new friends. We were still catching up from yesterday's travels as we partied at the Manilla Bar with a room full of Broncos and Panthers (mostly Broncos).Our first day got off to a great start!Enjoy!Stacy